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A media invitation to the unveiling of Tesla’s Model 3 says more than mere photos will be shown as had been previously conjectured.

On Mar. 31, a gathering of about 800 invitees in Los Angeles is however expected to be tightly controlled, with no Q&A of CEO Elon Musk, and restrictions are expected on media images, but Slashgear reports today a drive of a functional prototype appears to be on the agenda.

Media will be permitted “to take a quick spin in what we’ve been working on,” says Tesla in its official invite for the 200-plus mile EV the company has said will be in production by some time in 2017.

Unknown is whether the prototype(s) will be camouflaged or even very closely representative of a production version, cautions Slashgear.

Regardless what is shown, numerous other questions remain including will the same sort of Supercharger access be allowed for Model 3 owners as is possible now for Model S and X?

This and other questions lead to the core question of whether the Model 3 will do for mid-priced cars what Model S has done for the upscale luxury performance segment.

A Grand Slam Is Needed

Other pending EVs in this price point and range capability include the Chevrolet Bolt and next-generation Nissan Leaf which also has not been revealed.

The Leaf and Bolt are positioned closer to a lower demographic than buzz surrounding the Model 3 has so far led observers to believe.

GM has its Cadillac division and Nissan has Infiniti which – as true of European makers such as Audi and BMW – do have relatively lower level cars that nonetheless are positioned above Chevrolets and Nissans.

In that respect, Tesla’s brand recognition is perceptibly a cut above that of Chevy and Nissan. Indeed, the California EV maker models itself more on upscale European manufacturers yet has touted the Model 3 as a car for “the masses.”

As it is, Tesla has insisted starting price will be competitive with the Bolt and Leaf at $35,000 before potential subsidies and it will be so desirable as to propel the company to massive growth in the next several years.

Eyes will be on what may be the most significant new car reveal of this year, if not decade.

And for those concerned by suggestions that little will be revealed, at least more curiosity will be satisfied with drives, says Tesla.